So Shall Your Name Remain
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Isaiah 65:17-18
17. "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. 18. But be glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
Isaiah 66:22
"For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me, says the Lord; so shall your descendants and your name remain.
Psalm 102:18-28
18. Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord: 19. that he looked down from his holy height, from heaven the Lord looked at the earth, 20. to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die; 21. that men may declare in Zion the name of the Lord, and in Jerusalem his praise, 22. when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the Lord. 23. He has broken my strength in mid-course; he has shortened my days. 24. "O my God," I say, "take me not hence in the midst of my days, thou whose years endure throughout all generations!" 25. Of old thou didst lay the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands. 26. They will perish, but thou dost endure; they will all wear out like a garment. Thou changest them like raiment, and they pass away; 27. but thou art the same, and thy years have no end. 28. The children of thy servants shall dwell secure; their posterity shall be established before thee.
Life is short; but God is eternal. Life is hard; but God is good. Verse 18 talks about writing down the wonders of God and his power and his existence in eternity and into forever. Usually oral recounting of stories was all that was used to “record” history. This truth – God’s truth – is so amazing and awe-inspiring that the psalmist feels compelled to have it written down as a permanent record.
Man is sinful and stubborn and rebellious. But God is full of mercy and patience and forgiveness! His love is powerful enough to transcend any evil thoughts or deeds; his mercy is deep enough to transform our grief and regret into hope and rejoicing. His power is strong enough to endure beyond space and time and history and the future. Long after man is gone from the face of the earth, God will still exist. Faith in Him and in his offer of saving grace makes us “new creatures.”
When we turn our lives over to God, we don’t need to fret and worry about the future. When we trust in His wisdom and believe in His promise, we can sleep soundly at night and live life joyfully and with thanksgiving! God is in charge. He always has been. He always will be. We are transformed by Him and his great mercy and love. He makes all things new. He washes away our sin and shame. He sent Jesus for us. He gave us the best He had – and it was more than enough—far more than we will ever be able to comprehend, and certainly more than we deserved.
God loves us so much that he offers us renewal every time we run back to him. Even when we turn away and try to do things our own way, He waits for us expectantly and patiently. Even when we stubbornly refuse His counsel, he offers us Himself. We have eternal life because of the life His son sacrificed for us. We will live forever in heaven with those who have gone before us! We will all be reunited with them and united with God at the end of time.
So write this down for future generations. God made the world. He’s in charge. He loves us too much to leave us alone.
I hope you spend today recording a history for future generations to read about – proclaiming the good news and rejoicing in God’s grace.
Mary
